


Bullets and Feathers

by AbsolutelyGarbage



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angels, F/M, feelssss, implied jeanmarco brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:02:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2150028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsolutelyGarbage/pseuds/AbsolutelyGarbage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His wings fold behind his back, causing large fluffy white feathers to fall to the floor among the bullets. It would poetic if she could process it properly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bullets and Feathers

**Author's Note:**

> for Maruani week day seven;forgiveness

“Annie Leonhardt, former cadet of the Military Police. Correct?”

Forced on your knees with your hands chained behind your back is never a good position to find yourself in. Especially when you’re on trial for high treason and murder.  
The Survey Corps hadn’t wanted this. They wanted to keep her, study her, question her, use her in humanity’s fight against the titans. The Military Police didn’t want to risk the further damage she could cause. She scared them and so they wanted her dead.

Once upon a time, the Survey Corps would have been able to present their argument for why they should gain custody; for why she should be allowed to live. But with their power steadily slipping and with them becoming wanted criminals, she fell into the hands of the Military Police. What this trial would decide was what her punishment would be.

“Correct” Annie answered simply, not allowing her voice show how absolutely terrified she felt. She avoided the piercing gaze of the judge. Instead her eyes scanned the crowd of civilian witnesses. There was a small cluster towards the back wearing cloaks and hiding their faces. She caught a glimpse of a red scarf. Of course they would be here.

“Is it true that you share the same power as Eren Jaeger, can you transform into a titan?” It was the military police commander questioning her this time. Gathering evidence, as if he needed it.

“Yes” she answered as confidently as she could manage. There was no escaping this. She was going to face what she had done, some part of her wanted to.

“Then is it true that you used this power to attack the Stohess District?” of course they wouldn’t bring to light her crimes against the Survey Corps. They wanted the people to believe she was on the same side as them. Make them public enemy number one.

“Yes”

“Is it true that you helped bring down wall Maria five years ago?”

“Yes”

“And Trost?”

“Yes”

“Are you guilty of murder in the first of Cadet Marco Bodt” Now that was a surprise. Maybe murder would be the easiest charge to convince the people she needed to die? Maybe his relitives had demanded the charge be brought to light? Not that it mattered; she had murdered plenty of people. Marco was just one person dead because of her.  
Annie looked towards the crowd again. Towards the group of former classmates disguised as Civilians. Her ice blue eyes met golden for a moment, hardened and unforgiving.

“Yes” she answered, looking back towards the front.

“That is all” Commander Dawk said, stone face serious “Your honor?”

“I find Annie Leonhardt, guilty on all charges”

Annie didn’t look back again. Her old friends weren’t here on their superiors’ orders, to save her, they were here to watch her die for what she had done. She couldn’t blame them.

“For these crimes, I sentence Leonhardt to death by firing squad”

Without hesitation, the Military Police soldiers on both sides lifted their rifles and aimed them at Annie. Already loaded. No one doubted the outcome of this trial.

“Ready” The clicking of the guns being cocked fills the otherwise silent room.

“Aim” Fingers are placed on triggers.

“Fire” Bullets are fired.

A bright white light filled the courtroom, Annie squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught. When she opens them again everyone in the room is collapsed-dead, she assumes-all except the figure in front of her. She sucks in a breath at the sight before her, eyes wide.

It isn’t the snowy wings spread wide across the room, or the light that seemed to be pouring from the being’s very flesh. It wasn’t even the bullets suspended in the air, meant for her but stopped for some reason. No, it was the face. It was who it was.

“Marco” All the air has left Annie’s lungs, the name is barely audible but he hears her. He smiles, wide and dimpled as he so often did in life. But it’s different, radiant; other worldly. With a flick of his wrist the bullets clatter to the ground and the chains around Annie’s wrists fall.

“It’s been a while, Annie” Even his voice is different, calm but powerful. Reverberating through her bones as she shakily stands up. His wings fold behind his back, causing large fluffy white feathers to fall to the floor among the bullets. It would poetic if she could process it properly.

She looks back to where their old classmates had been standing. When they had fallen, so had their cloaks, causing their faces to be revealed and confirm Annie’s suspicions. Not that she had doubted it was them.

“They’re alive” Marco reassures “Just unconscious”

“Why?” Annie asks without turning towards him. “Why didn’t you let me die?”

“Why did you say you were guilty?” Marco countered “You and I both know you didn’t kill me”

“I might as well have. You would be alive if it weren’t for me, that’s close enough” It was getting increasingly difficult to keep her voice from breaking.

“You had your reasons. Your father” Honestly it shouldn’t even be surprising, given everything but Annie whips around anyway. Shocked.

“How do you know about that?”

“Being omniscient is kind of in the job description” Marco laughed, unearthly baritone rumbling through the room.

“Are you really…an angel? How is that possible?”

“Angels are simply soldiers of Heaven. If a soldier dies a noble death, they are allowed to choose. Retire and enjoy peace or continue their fight in the next life”

“Of course _you_ would choose to remain a soldier” Maybe Annie has finally snapped, maybe it’s being able to see him again but she smiles. Actually smiles.

“Someone had to look after them” Marco gestures to their unconscious friends “And you”

“If you know what’s happening…why haven’t you stopped any of it?” He could have stopped her, stopped the titans, stopped the king. With his powers.

“There are…rules” Marco explained slowly “I’m a soldier of heaven, not earth. These aren’t my battles anymore” More of his feathers drifted towards the floor. Annie hadn’t noticed it before but they had been steadily falling since he had arrived.

“And this wasn’t against the rules?” Annie had a feeling it was.

“No, it was” Marco looked away from her. Studying Jean’s unconscious face “I would have liked to talk to him again…before” his voice was strangely quiet for how impressive it was.

“You’re dying” The realization finally dawned on Annie.

“There is a punishment for breaking the rules” Marco pulls the cloaks back over their sleeping forms. Lingering for a moment.

“Annie, you blame yourself. You shouldn’t. There is a difference between people who are evil and people who are desperate” He faces her again.

“It really was nice to see you again” Marco smiles rue fully, cupping her face in his hand. He looks like he’s debating something for a moment, eyebrows knitted in contemplation and then he’s gone.

Nothing but bullets and feathers as evidence that he was ever there.


End file.
